NORMAN SECURE LEADERS A POINT AGAINST A DETERMINED DOVE HOLES

NEW TUPTON IVANHOE 3 DOVE HOLES RES 3

HOPE VALLEY LEAGUE A DIVISION AT STATION NEW ROAD

22 JANUARY 2022 --- 2PM

BEN NORMAN BRACE FOR NEW TUPTON IVANHOE

League leaders New Tupton Ivanhoe were thankful that Ben Norman popped up with his second and an equalising goal with just seven minutes remaining of this A division game against a Dove Holes side struggling, if the table is anything to go by but who were never behind in the game.  

Football had returned to the calendar with the last Saturday game nine weeks previous in the November of 2021, indeed only one Sunday fixture punctuated this run and I did wonder if football was falling out of favour but this enthralling encounter served up a treat to re-whet the appetite.

HERE COMES THE PENALTY

So after a wet spell which had seen many games called off and the Christmas period grassroots football was finally back on offer for the lovers of this level of competition.  The chance to pop local and catch up with New Tupton Ivanhoe and their visitors Dove Holes in the form of the reserve side who had left behind their A6 home in the High Peak for the trip to North East Derbyshire was interesting me.  As a youngster travelling through Dove Holes it was always a little but fascinating with the adjacent quarry dusting up the town giving an overall grey and dull look to the place but it has a regular bus service and a train station that made this place a little more enthralling to this young un at the time.  Now years on its a while since I have been near to the village but with the increased interest in The Hope Valley League I hope to get up there soon to take in a game at The Hallsteads.

SLIDING TACKLE THANKFULLY WINS THE BALL

We were greeted with an increasingly grey and darkening day at Station New Road and with a pitch looking tacky and offering up long grass in places this had the feeling of  it being a bit of a difficult encounter for the home side who sat pretty at the top of the table and so it turned out to be.

JOSH KIRKWOOD NEW TUPTON IVANHOE

As early as the eight minute Tupton were in trouble albeit from a very harsh penalty decision by referee Daryll White who found it necessary to sin bin Josh Kirkwood for his protests against the award, there were a few others who aired an opinion.  Of course 'it is in the opinion of the referee' that matters and Corey Flint held his nerve to fire home from the spot.  The following minutes found the home side trying to form something of an attack while being cautious that they were down to ten men for ten minutes and even when they got a full complement back they struggled to get into the game against a resolute Dove Holes side.

Half way through the half Matt Jackson struck the bar to give Tupton hope and indeed after 37 minutes hope turned to an equaliser when Norman got his first nodding home from close range.  On the stroke of half time [44 minutes] the visitors would also have a reduction of players with a sin bin that would affect the start of their second half or would it?

JOE HOLMES CLEARS A DOVE HOLES ATTACK

Well no it wouldn't because within seven minutes of the restart they had the advantage again when Flint secured his and the visitors second.  It would take the Ivanhoe ten minutes to find an equaliser when a floated in free kick fell to Jack Foulds who made no mistake sweeping the ball into the visitors goal.

There was no time for the men in stripes to think of a winner or for that matter even celebrate as straight from the kick off these determined High Peak boys were in the lead again thanks this time to Tallis Stone hitting the back of the net.

JACK FOULDS ON THE FLOOR [LEFT] MAKES IT 2-2

As the tempo increased Tupton desperately did not want to lose a game they would have been predicted to have won as they looked to keep a comfort zone at the top of the table in their promotion push but they were finding it very difficult to create anything substantial as the visitors looked a constant threat with what would have been a game wining fourth goal.

As it looked increasingly likely the equaliser would not come a low cross evaded everybody until it found Norman who forced the ball home at the back post for his second and with a huge sigh of relief Tupton were level again for the third time.

BEN NORMAN FOR 3-3

The tense closing minutes meant you could not rule out Dove Holes securing another goal but really the best chances fell to Tupton who in the same move had efforts from Foulds and James Culf superbly saved by the visiting keeper who would turn out to be the hero for the team sporting the former Alfreton Town Fc blue away kit.  Those saves secured a point from a fantastic game that the visitors fully deserved something from, for Tupton they looked subdued today and under par to their normal levels but of course you only play as well your opponents allow you to.

Another good advert for The Hope Valley League and grassroots football.

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